Dr Govinda KC will begin his 16th hunger strike in Ilam from Wednesday. And just like his previous 15 hunger strikes, this time, too, Dr KC has the same demand: ending the “mafia reign” in the country’s medical education sector and health care service through sweeping reforms.

Talking to media persons in Ilam on Tuesday, Dr KC said he decided to launch yet another hunger strike because the government had once again reneged on its promise of reforming the country’s medical education sector and health care service by implementing the Medical Education Bill in its entirety, as agreed by the government team that led him to end his 15th hunger strike.

Dr KC had arrived in Ilam with the intention of staging hunger strike from January 1. He later postponed the protest by a week at the request of parliamentary sub-committee that was assigned to deliberate on the draft bill. But since his concerns were not heard, Dr KC has resolved to stage another round of fast-unto-death protest.

Earlier in December, Dr KC had mentioned that every government that signed deals with him in the past to make him end his hunger strikes had tried to blackmail him to fulfil the vested interests of agents and mafias while disregarding the welfare of the citizens. He had accused the senior government ministers and politicians of colluding with “medical mafias” to undermine the Medical Education Bill.